Fastening means for tool handles



June 1929- c. F. GRIFFITH FASTENING MEANS FOR TOOL HANDLES Filed Dec. 26, 1925 k IE ' W TNESSES m W WE m Patented June 11, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES CHARLES F. GRIFFITH, OF WYNNEWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA.

FASTENING MEANS Application filed December This invention relates to fastening devices by which tools are firmly secured to handles and it has for fundamental objects the provision of novel means elfective to rigidly anchor handles in tools, and to axially reinforce that port-ion of the handle adjacent said tool which is subjected to the greatest strains in use.

A further-object is to provide a novel means of the typified character which is simple to construct, inexpensive to manufacture, and is particularly adapted for the connection of handles to tools such as hammers, axes and analogous wieldable implements.

WVith the foregoing objects in view this invention consists essentially of a securing and reinforcing member embodying a frustum head and pronged point, in combination with means for deflecting said point to effect rigid anchorage between a handle of wood or other suitable material and a tool socketed thereto.

The accompanying drawings serve to typically illustrate my invention, while the subjoined claims succinctly define those fea tures alleged to be novel and patent-able.

In the drawings Fig. I, is a view of a hammer with portions of the head and handle broken away to better illustrate my novel fastening means in applied position.

Fig. II, is a perspective view of the fastening member, per se, prior to use.

Fig. III, is an enlarged section taken as indicated by the arrowed lines IIIIII in Fig. II.

Fig. IV, is a. perspective view of a slightly modified form of fastening member; and,

Fig. V, is a fragmentary view illustrative of the manner in which the modified fastening member of Fig. IV effects anchorage.

Referring more in detail to Figs. I-III of the drawings, the numeral 3 denotes an ordinary claw-hammer head and 4 the handle, the latter being drifted into the socket 5 of said head, in accordance with conventional practice.

My novel fastening device or member, comprehensively designated 6, embodies a relatively long shank portion 7, provided at oneend with a tapering or frustum head 8, while at the other end it is bifurcated to provide longitudinally directed prongs 9 which are pointed, as shown, for a purpose later on explained. The bifurcated end of the shank portion 7 is also longitudinally FOR TOOL HANDLES.

26, 1925. Serial No. 77,769.

slabbed at right angles to the plane of the prongs 9, as indicated at 10, to facilitate anchorage of the device in the handle 4, as hereinafter set forth. Attention is directed to the fact that the shank portion 7 is of uniform diameter throughout its entire it serves as the expanding or spreading member to anchor the prongs 9 in the handle 4, and thus effect rigid connection of the hammer head 3 thereto.

In the modified form of fastening member 6, shown in Figs. IV and V, it will be observed that I do not bifurcate the point thereof but shape the same with a single prong 12 that is aligned to one side of the axis of the shank 7, and slabbed at 10 as before set forth.

In assen'ibling the parts above described, I first drill the handle 4 axially from the socket end to provide a bore 13 of a diameter to frictionally accommodate the shank portion 7, as well as of a length substantially the same as that of the device 6. The hammer 3 or other tool is next applied, in conventional manner, and the ball 11 dropped or forced to the bottom of the bore 13, whereupon the device 6 is inserted and hammered axially of the handle 3 until the prongs 9 engage said ball. Further hammering upon the driving head 8 will, 0bviously, effect expansion of the prongs 9- or deflection of the prong 12laterally into anchoring position; and simultaneously the frustum formation of the head 8 spreads the handle end laterally and radially into rigid engagement with the inner face of the socket 5 without spliting the same. Or, as will be apparent, the frustrum head 8 expands the handle fiber longitudinally, whereby resetting of the head 3 may be effected, when necessary, without injury to the socketed handle portion.

Incidentally, it is noteworthy that the fr-ustrum head 8 serves in a counter capacity to the ordinarily tapered end of the handle 4, while the prongs 9-or 12are laterally expanded with a rolling act-ion consequent upon their shape and co-operation with the ball 11. Furthermore, the relatively long shank 7 substantially re-inforces the handle 4 adjacent the head 3, while the device 6 is anchored remote from said head in a refected with a few hammer blows upon the gion of the handle 4 not subjected to compression, with elimination of the prevalent counter-influences tending to mar a firm or rigid connection between an inserted handle and tool of the referred to types; whereas resetting of such implements is easily efhead 8 as occasion may require.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A handle securing device for tool heads comprising an axially bored handle, a rod frictionally engaging in the said bore, a

pronged point on the said rod, and means adapted, incident to driving of the device, to deflect the pronged point for anchorage in the handle substantially beyond the tool head.

2. A handle securing device for tool heads comprising an axially bored handle, a rod frictionaly engaging in the said bore, a bifurcated point on the said rod, and means adapted, incident to driving of the device, to expand the bifurcations for anchorage on opposite sides in the handle substantially beyond the tool head.

3. A device for securing and reinforcing handles for tool heads comprising an elongated member; having a taper head and abifurcated point, in combination with a spherical resistance member adapted to expand the bifurcations for anchorage in the handle beyond the tool head simultaneous with lateral expansion of the handle end within the confines of the tool.

4. A handle securing device for tool heads comprising a rod having a pronged point, in combination with means adapted, incident to driving of the rod, to outwardly eefiect the pronged point for anchorage in the handle, said rod extending substantially beyond the tool head so as to reinforce the portion of the handle adjacent said tool head.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this l lth day of December, 1925.

CHARLES F. GRIFFITH. 

